Customer Reviews

The Night of the Following Day

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4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Night of the Following Day" marked something of a resurgence in Brando's then sagging career. I knew director Hubert Cornfield who told me that Brando didn't take directions, he gave them. In this case his instincts were right on. He and his fellow cast members deliver first-class ensemble acting performances. Particularly memorable is the deliciously evil Richard Boone. Marvelously eerie mood photography of the foggy French seashore adds much to the suspenceful atmosphere. Unfortunately what might have been a masterpiece is marred by a cliche "twist" ending that leaves the viewer terribly disappointed in view of what has gone on before. This is one time when an alternate ending might have saved the movie.

The DVD of this excellent, overlooked kidnap drama is both mesmerizing and a hoot. The performances are uniformly terrific, with Brando (of course) the standout, and the cinematography is stunning photographically, though director Cornfeld doesn't stage his scenes all that dramatically at times. Still, the movie draws you in thanks to the performances, and by the climax, it's riveting.

What makes the DVD particularly delightful is the commentary by Cornfeld, who sounds like he has throat cancer, and who is still pissed off at Brando close to 40 years later. "He tried to seduce my wife" Cornfeld says before explaining how Brando refused to let him direct the last scene they shot (it's the one where Brando tells Jess Hahn he's not going through with the plot, and co-star Richard Boone directed it!). For Brando fans, you get an overlooked movie that is far from his worst, featuring trippy 60s cinematography that would be hailed as sheer genius if Steven Soderbergh did it on an "Ocean's 11" sequel. And Cornfeld's insight into the sadism Brando inflicted on so many of his directors is fascinating and repellant all at once. Recommended!

I just saw this movie last night and didn't think it as bad as most people say that it is. It's not great and much less one that would be hailed as a masterpiece of comtemporary American cinema but I thought overall it was pretty good. The movie does move at a slow pace for the most part but it did keep me interested in its characters and how they were going to turn out. Marlon Brando plays the leader of a ruthless gang of kidnappers who proceed to kidnap a young lady as soon as she arrives in Paris. She is then taken hostage and driven to an isolated beachhouse owned by the stewardess that she met on the plane. As the days wore on the tension and danger builds and their plan turns horribly wrong and everyone feels the pressure as danger begins to consume them. Marlon Brando is always good as he seldom if ever disappoints and he plays his role with a smooth raw edge that is cool and collected and always serious. Richard Boone is perhaps the most cynical and dangerous villain of the group and he delivers a performance that is both intriguing and great. Rita Moreno is fantastic as the blonde cocaine addicted flight attendant who is Brando's partner in crime and lover. It was reported that the both of them were having a passionate and torrid affair during the filming of the movie. The last 14 minutes of the film leave you somewhat confused (atlest it did me) and the ending leaves you hanging and expecting something else to happen or atleast give the viewer an indication that something else has to happen but it doesn't. Not a bad movie, I thought it was going to be a bomb but it wasn't you should consider watching this movie and looking at it for what it is one of Marlon Brando's most obscure and less known films but all that considered a fairly decent movie.

The Night of the Following Day is the story of four criminals who kidnap a rich girl(Pamela Franklin) upon her return to Paris. They take her to a beach house where she is held for ransom.Her captors include a washed up petty crook(Jess Hahn),his drug addicted sister(Rita Moreno), her boyfriend(Marlon Brando) and a sadist(Richard Boone). The film is very interesting, yet disturbing to watch at times due to the nature of the film. Watching Brando is fun. Its easy to see why he is one of the greatest actors of alltime. Boone is frightening as Leer, a big, unpleasent, wacko who is out for the double cross.I would highly recommend this film, but one should be warned that it is preety rough in spots and unsettling.Brando and Boone dominate the film.

The death of a major actor usually results in a flurry of sales of his films, but that is not why I wanted this particular film.

Mr. Brando often 'walked through' films, giving perfunctory performances at best. He admitted as much during his lifetime. This is definitely not the case with his portrayal of "Bud" in this ensemble cast. I first saw this film on the big screen as a first release, and was fascinated by the interactions of the characters.

The plot revolves around the kidnapping of a young girl and holding her for ransom. The drama is the tensions among the conspirators. The ending, now a cliche, was relatively new at the time, and MUST be regarded that way.

The cast is what makes the film worth watching: Brando. Richard Boone, upping the bar on his sadistic sinister best (as seen in the previous year's "Hombre" with Paul Newman). Rita Moreno, showing the versatility by tackling a part a long way from "West Side Story." A very young Pamela Franklin, who five years later starred in the classic thriller "Legend of Hell House." The characters are brought to life by these talented players; no one is quite what he or she seems to be at first.

Yes, it's 60s. Yes, it's quirky. The big buzz is the rift between Brando and the director - Richard Boone was asked to take over for the last bits shot. Oh well. The film remains one of the standout roles of Brando's, and should be given a place in any collection.

I was actually surprised when this movie turned out to be somewhat entertaining. I honestly do not think this is a good film by any stretch of my imagination, but it is not that bad. After laboring through some of the other films Brando made at this time I actually found this one sort of refreshing. Brando plays a professional kidnapper who along with a band of similar professionals kidnapps a rich man's daughter. They hold her for ransom in some house by a beach. As time passes things slowly start to go wrong inside the group until they blow up. I found this movie fun for one reason or another, it is kind of off beat. I would only suggest it to serious Marlon Brando fans.

I saw "The Night of the Following Day" yesterday. I'd heard, and expected, it to be typical of Marlon Brando's "stinky sixties" period, when he was just showing up for the check. The hype on this film was totally wrong! It's a period gem!

Richard Boone and, especially, Rita Moreno more than hold their own with Brando. It's refreshing to see the Method man taking something of a backseat to Boone, at least until the very end. And what an end it is---genuinely suspenseful and a true twist which I didn't see coming.

Brando plays, and plays well a sympathetic character among a cast of three-dimensional portrayals. The film is imaginatively photographed; 1969 Paris serves as an attractive backdrop for a movie that gives better than it got from critics at the box office.

At five bucks for the DVD or less than that for the video, give "The Night of the Following Day" a chance. It's a good late night or rainy afternoon movie. You won't be disappointed.

Yes, it is Brando -- lean as in Kowalski lean, sexy, fierce, winning and anti-heroic (our more than substantial reply to France's Belmondo); and Boone, the nastiest of heaviest -- snarly, bullying, craggy and thoroughly killable -- the film itself has a tightness one associates with John Frankenheimer -- splendidly un- to half-likeable characters (done to turn by Rita Moreno and Pamela Franklin, among others) and a script that bites; but it is Brando who holds us -- at his best he wasn't a contender . . . he was champ; get this film.

There's a lot of interesting ideas lying subsurface in this movie, waiting to be developed, especially the "Stockholm syndrome" theme between Pamela Franklin and Brando. Unfortunately, they're presented and dropped before they can be developed.
Richard Boone, one of Hollywood's greatest character actors, plays an amoral sadist here, and his scenes with Brando positively crackle with tension and electricity. Rita Moreno, in a blond wig, is astonishing as the junkie airline stewardess, who makes this caper possible, but endangers it at every turn with her character's thoughtlessness and weaknesses.
There's some very good acting to watch here, and Brando, still in his physical prime, is riveting. Sadly, the pacing of the movie is very slow, and the point of it all seems to be missing. All of the characters are flawed enough to be interesting, but the plot never coalesces to the point where we should care about any of them. The closest thing we get to caring is seeing Brando's character exact his vengence on Richard Boone's dapper sadist.
There's probably a lot of this movie that was left on the cutting-room floor, because the actors obviously cared. The finished product, however, does not contain enough highlights to save the movie from its extended periods of ennui.

Universal Pictures presents "THE NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY" (19 February 1969) (94 mins/Color) (Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- Marlon Brando is the leader of a gang of ruthless kidnappers --- Some intense scenes and conversations between his co-stars Richard Boone (Leer) and Jess Hahn (Wally) that he wants out of the kidnapping --- Boone is an out of control psycho that will stop at nothing to fill his desires of doing harm to the girl Pamela Franklin they've kidnapped --- Rita Moreno is Wally's sister who has a bad drug habit and is Brando's love interest --- But many of the scenes are Hahn's as he gives the performance of down on his luck wanting this to be the last job person --- This overlooked film has some classic moments, but also does nothing to keep this a Brando and Boone gem.

Under the production staff of:
Hubert Cornfield - Director & Screenwriter
Robert Phippeny - Screenwriter
Lionel White - Screenwriter
Hubert Cornfield - Producer
Jerry Gershwin - Producer
Elliott Kastner - Executive Producer
Al Lettieri - Executive Producer
Stanley Myers - Original Music
Willy Kurant - Cinematographer
Gordon Pilkington - Film Editor

BIOS:
1. Marlon Brando
Date of Birth: 3 April 1924 - Omaha, Nebraska
Date of Death: 1 July 2004 - Los Angeles, California

2. Richard Boone
Date of Birth: 18 June 1917 - Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: 10 January 1981 - St. Augustine, Florida

3. Rita Moreno
Date of Birth: 11 December 1931 - Humacao, Puerto Rico
Date of Death: Still Living

4. Hubert Cornfield
Date of Birth: 9 February 1929 - Istanbul, Turkey
Date of Death: 18 June 2006 - Los Angeles, California

the cast includes
Marlon Brando ... Chauffeur
Richard Boone ... Leer
Rita Moreno ... Vi
Pamela Franklin ... Dupont's daughter
Jess Hahn ... Wally
Gérard Buhr ... Gendarme
Jacques Marin ... Cafe's owner
Hugues Wanner ... Dupont
Al Lettieri ... Al - Pilot (as Al Lettier)

Check out the Marlon Brando 4-Movie Collection (The Ugly American / The Appaloosa / A Countess from Hong Kong / The Night of the Following Day)
also available on this Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.com/Collection-American-Appaloosa-Countess-Following/dp/B0007RTBA6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1248618787&sr=1-2

Looking fit and trim Brando gives an emotionally charged performance, Richard Boone as a sadistic and fiendish killer Jess Hahn as hard-luck and pitiful Wally, Rita Moreno as drug-addicted sister of Wally and Brando's girl-friend is pure acting on the cuff --- Must mention Pamela Franklin as the victim who is kidnapped turns in a truly abusive role --- But don't be fooled, as some of this film drags a bit, but gets going again with a raw and brutal finish --- The Night of the Following Day is a toss up between quirky and brilliant, you be the judge.

Total Time: 94 min on DVD ~ Universal Pictures ~ (05/11/2004)